Renewable is Renewable. Non-Renewable is Terminal.

¶    Current status of US nuclear power plants can be found at the US Nuclear Power Report. It is a distressingly dull digest of information from the NRC, posted most weekdays and Saturdays, most recently on May 18. At last report, 16 out of 102 US reactors are not operating, and 9 are at reduced output.

¶   By NRC reckoning, Vermont Yankee (VY) is running at 100% of capacity. When the NRC rates output at 100%, it means it is 124% of specification. The plant is at 103% of its intended lifespan and the spent fuel pool has 500% of its intended load.

¶   Essay: What does Declining Investment in Renewable Power Mean?

geoharvey is one of George Harvey’s Blogs.

May 20 Energy News

Opinion:

¶   ”We can let fission fizzle out in a renewable world” Given the possibilities of solar, wind, and hydro, nuclear power no longer makes sense. [New Scientist]

Science and Technology:

¶   Cellulosic ethanol, a rapidly developing sector of the renewable fuel industry, is beginning to be seen as a potential challenge for traditional fossil fuels. The process makes renewable fuel out of agriculture waste that would normally be discarded. [OANDA Forex]

World:

¶   BT has become one of the largest companies in the world to switch to 100 per cent renewable power, after signing a landmark deal with npower. BT is one of the UK’s largest users of electricity, using 2.3 GWh of power last year. [Business Green]

¶   Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs plans to invest in Japanese solar, wind and other renewable energy projects worth up to ¥300 billion ($2.9 billion) over the next five years. [Recharge]

¶   One week after the NOAA records 400 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere for the first time, the Canadian federal government is continuing pushing fossil fuels and Prime Minister Stephen Harper takes the case for Keystone to New York City. [Hill Times]

¶   Articles are appearing about retrieving and dealing with nuclear waste put into storage years back:
… A German law has recently come into effect ordering the cleanup of 126,000 barrels of radioactive waste at the Asse nuclear dump site. But it seems the process could take a lot longer than locals initially hoped for. [Deutsche Welle]
… James Fisher and Sons has a two-year contract to supply remote handling equipment to support the retrieval, sorting and segregation of miscellaneous waste materials stored at the Dounreay nuclear site. [IFA Magazine]

¶   Algeria plans to build its first nuclear plant in 2025 to cope with the country’s soaring electricity consumption. [EastDay.com]

US:

¶   A bill to repeal North Carolina’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Standard has finally been halted as it failed to win the support of some key members of the Republican Party. [solarserver.com]

¶   Missouri’s legislative year ended with the states renewable energy standard intact. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   Recently released letters between owners of the San Onofre nuclear plant and the manufacture of its broken steam generators show the two have been in deep disagreement over how to repair the plant. [fox5sandiego.com]

May 19 Energy News

Opinion:

¶   “Will Uranium Costs Kill Nuclear?” The Motley Fool, advising on the stock market, takes a look at decreasing profits for nuclear-bound utilities as the cost of uranium increases. [Motley Fool]

World:

¶   A new report released by the United Nations Environment Program, “Green economy and trade-trends, challenges and opportunities,” highlights the advantages of sustainable standards in developing countries. [Business Recorder]

¶   Morocco  hopes to cover 42 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, and has launched a plan to produce 4,000 megawatts, half from solar and half from wind. They hope to open Africa’s largest wind farm in 2014. [Middle East Online]

¶   Iranian President Ahmadinejad showed off five examples of Iranian technological developments in the field of renewable energy. [Press TV]

US:

¶   Owners of the troubled Fort Calhoun nuclear plant hope to have the plant ready to operate by the end of June. The NRC seems to see things differently, saying the plant has met only eight of 25 major performance issues. [91.5 KIOS-FM]

¶   The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered Enercon Services to reinstate an engineer at the Wolf Creek nuclear plant, who had been fired for reporting unsafe conditions. [WIBW]

May 18 Energy News

World:

¶   A 576 MW offshore wind farm costing €2 billion, called Gwynt y Môr,  is now under construction off North Wales by RWE npower renewables, with the first of 160 turbines in place. Each turbine takes about 24 hours to install, and has a capacity of 3.6 MW. [reNews]

¶   E.ON SE has made its first significant move in Germany’s decentralized power market by agreeing to build four combined heat and power units for retailer Metro AG. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Germany will provide €1 billion of assistance to India to develop green corridors to link power generated from renewable sources like wind and solar energy into the national grid. [Hindustan Times]

¶   Belgian reactor operator Electrabel is preparing to restart two shut-down units at after national nuclear regulators decided crack-like indications discovered in the reactors’ pressure vessels are of no safety significance. [World Nuclear News]

¶   The parliamentary budget officer’s latest analysis of the government’s spending estimates shows Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. is continuing to be a money pit for taxpayers. [Globe and Mail]

US:

¶   General Motors is the first automaker to join a growing group of businesses calling for a US policy action on climate change. [ceres.org]

¶   The Electric Reliability Council of Texas reports that electric generation from l solar and wind is continuing to grow there. Wind power continues to provide over 95% of renewable power, but solar is had a 265% increase from 2011 to 2012. [North American Windpower]

¶   A federal court judge has set a hearing date for early June in Entergy Vermont Yankee’s latest legal challenge against Vermont. Entergy sued, claiming state regulators have delayed approval of a backup emergency diesel generator. [Rutland Herald]

May 17 Energy News

Economics and Finance:

¶   Growing signs of climate change may be the reason that more clients of some advisors are interested in portfolios without shares of fossil-fuel companies. [Financial Advisor Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶   Progress is being made on an “artificial leaf,” a photoelectrochemical cell, that can use solar power to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used as needed to generate power. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Community and cooperative renewable power may be the next big thing in Canadian renewable energy. [Huffington Post Canada]

¶   Some are working toward 100% renewable power. Some have achieved it. Greensburg, Kansas, with 781 people is 100% already. Rhein-Hunsruck, a German district of 100,000, is nearly there, and plans to go to 236% in 2014.  [Forbes]

¶   Globeleq, the emerging markets power company, has inaugurated its 44 MW Eolo de Nicaragua S.A. wind farm in Nicaragua. The wind farm is located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, about 123 km south of Managua. [NEWS.GNOM.ES]

¶   Renewable energy companies based in the greater China region have heavy debt burdens. Analysts and investors are increasingly concerned about the risk of default among leading players in the solar power sector. [DesignBuild Source]

US:

¶   Some political and business groups that deny the science of climate change are petitioning the Supreme Court to review its 2007 decision, Massachusetts v. EPA, which said the EPA is required to regulate carbon pollution as pollution. [ThinkProgress]

¶   General Electric has signed an agreement with Green Waste Energy, a  US-based developer of advanced recycling and energy conversion plants, to supply Jenbacher J620 gas engines to generate clean electricity from waste. [NASDAQ]

¶   SolarCity, a solar-energy developer has won financing from Goldman Sachs for more than $500 million in rooftop solar systems that the company will complete this year. [Businessweek]

¶   The Green Mountain College Board of Trustees has voted to divest from fossil fuels immediately and establish a process for aligning future investments with social, environmental and governance goals. [The Nation.]

¶   The US Senate has unanimously confirmed Ernest Moniz, a scientist and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to be secretary of energy Thursday. [Washington Post]

¶   Duke Energy Progress has shut down the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in North Carolina for repairs after the discovery that the head of the reactor vessel showed indications of corrosion and cracking. [News & Observer]

May 16 Energy News

Analysis:

¶   “Who’s leading – and who’s lagging – in the global renewables race?” Renewable power production rates of countries are compared.  [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   Scotland’s tallest ever wind turbine will be constructed by Samsung. The offshore demonstration wind turbine, with a capacity of 7 MW and 640 feet tall, will be deployed off the Scottish coastline at the Fife Energy Park [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   An event last February at the Chalk River nuclear plant, in which a nuclear operator shut down the reactor’s cooling system by mistake, was called a “near-miss” in an official report. Owners said there was no danger. [Ottawa Citizen]

¶   When the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority found that a fault directly beneath the Tsuruga Unit 2 reactor was active, it dealt a blow to the plant’s operator that could prove fatal, and all of Japan’s nuclear utilities could suffer. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   The wine-making town of Sebastopol, California has become the second municipality in the state to require that solar panels be installed in all new building construction. [Huffington Post]

¶   Walmart has announced the completion of eight new solar PV arrays in Massachusetts. The arrays have almost 10,000 panels and will provide 2.8 million kWh annually. [Environmental Expert]

¶   The US National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded a contract to Siemens to provide five 2.3 MW wind turbines to supply electric power to its Pantex plant in Texas. [Recharge]

¶   A peer-reviewed paper from Stanford says not only could New York run entirely on renewables by 2030, but eliminating burning fossil fuels would save New York $33 billion each year in medical expenses and mortality. [Buffalo News]

¶   The investigation into who left a lemonade pitcher with goldfish swimming in radioactive water in a tunnel at the Perry nuclear plant has 1700 suspects. [Timesonline.com]

May 15 Energy News

Science and Technology:

¶   Enerkem, a waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals company, is launching a new research project with the Government of Canada, to develop new catalytic processes to convert waste into biofuels that are drop-in replacements for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. [Canada NewsWire]

World:

¶   Eurelectric, whose members are national electric trade associations and affiliates are such organizations as IBM and Siemens, has urged European policy makers to set 2030 carbon targets as soon as possible, with warnings about the results of failure to do so. [Commodities Now]

¶   A report from the governments of Scotland and the UK details the potential for renewable energy in the Scottish Islands. The report indicates the islands can contribute a large amount of power by 2020, and will get thousands of jobs in the process. [The Orcadian]

¶   A study by Siemens concluded that if European renewable installations are built at the sites offering  the highest power yields, some €45 billion of investment can be saved by 2030. [WebWire]

¶   A Berlin renewable energy co-operative group wants to take control of the city’s electricity grid to promote renewable energy. They accuse Vattenfall, the current operator, of failing to seek alternatives to fossil fuels. [Deutsche Welle]

¶   Kuwait is preparing for its first deficit, which could come as soon as 2017.  The country is looking at a switch from oil to renewables. [Green Prophet]

¶   Sixty top Indian scientists have signed a letter asking for a thorough inspection of the Kudankulam nuclear plant before it goes into operation. The plant was found to have been built with substandard components. [Times of India]

¶   A report from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority says the geologic fault lying directly under a reactor at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant is active. Government regulations say a reactor may not operate if it sits on an active fault, so it is likely it will be decommissioned. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   According to the analysis released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 32 US states cut their carbon dioxide emissions during the last decade, while 18 increased them. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Georgia Power has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with Rollcast Energy to boost its biomass power capacity by 53.5MW. Under the agreement, the owner of the plant will retain all Renewable Energy Credits. [Energy Business Review]

¶   SolarCity and Forest City Communities announced last week the start of a project providing solar energy for 6,500 military homes at the Marine Corps Base and the Navy Region in Hawaii, located in the Ohana Military Communities. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has repeatedly pushed back the date for a decision on whether to restart the San Onofre nuclear plant. Now, the head of the agency says it will not come until late June at the earliest. [Los Angeles Times]

May 14 Energy News

Opinion:

¶   “It Doesn’t Matter If We Never Run Out of Oil: We Won’t Want to Burn It Anymore” – Mainstream analysts see “peak oil” emerging not in supply but in demand, because modern technologies to save or displace oil cost far less than oil. [The Atlantic]

¶   US Media reports routinely fail to inform the public about the fossil fuel industry funders behind climate change contrarian think tanks, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
[Union of Concerned Scientists]

World:

¶   While Europe is adding generating capacity for wind, solar, biomass, and gas, its capacity for nuclear and coal is declining. The increased use of coal for generating electricity is probably not a long-term phenomenon. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   According to Synapse Energy Economics, adding more wind power to the grid in the PJM region of the Eastern Interconnection can reduce regional wholesale energy market prices, saving nearly $7 billion per year in the mid-2020s. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Congressional lawmakers from both parties are moving closer to making master limited partnerships open for renewable resources. They are tax breaks that have been available for 32 years to fossil fuel companies for expansion. [Kitsap Sun]

¶   Based on the falling costs of solar and rising electric prices, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), one of the largest utilities in the country that serves northern California, may not be able to compete with residential solar soon. [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

¶   The Environment and Energy Commission of Columbia, Missouri is asking the city to increase the percentage of power generated from renewable sources by two percent every year. The goal is to reach 100% by the middle of the century. [KBIA]

¶   Wisconsin utilities’ statewide Focus on Energy program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, increased energy savings significantly in 2012, 17% more than the previous year. [Environmental Expert]

¶   The operating license for one of the two reactors at Indian Point will soon expire, and the NRC cannot issue a new before it does. The NRC’s solution to the problem is to allow the plant to operate without a license. [The Journal News | LoHud.com]

¶   The NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has determined that the agency’s process for approving a restart of the San Onofre nuclear plant amounts to a license amendment proceeding. This means public hearings are required. [Businessweek]

May 13 Energy News

Politics and Economics:

¶   G20 leaders have repeatedly committed to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which one estimate puts at 2.5% of global GDP. Despite the talk, not much progress has been made. [The Interpreter]

World:

¶   Chile which has one of the greatest potentials for geothermal energy development in Latin America, also lacked incentives for investment going past the exploratory phase. A strategic partnership with New Zealand aims to change that situation. [Aljazeera.com]

¶   Members of parliaments from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are visiting London this week to urge the UK to be more ambitious in its transition to renewable energy and maintain a more active role at the international climate change negotiations. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   Hit hard by a power crisis, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is focusing on renewable energy. It has started on a major solar energy initiative, announcing a Solar Energy Policy, to generate 3,000 MW in the next few years. [The New Indian Express]

¶   Solaria Corporation, which is based in Fremont, California, has announced it has established operations in China to meet demand for high-efficiency large-scale solar projects in that country. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority is suspending operation of the Monju prototype fast breeder reactor because of the operator’s poor safety record. The operators continued to ignore safety procedures even after the Fukushima Disaster. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   Solar project developer AllEarth Renewables chose ReneSola panels for three separate community-scale solar power projects in Vermont in the last few months. The sites are at Williston, Bridport, and at New Leaf Organic Farm in Monkton. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Wind power has many benefits. One is better economic stability than traditional thermal generating systems that are subject changing conditions in fuel markets. Another is offering employment opportunities. [Today's Energy Solutions]

May 12 Energy News

Opinion:

¶   “The high price of nuclear fantasies” The enduring Tallahassee myth that nuclear power is always cheaper has cost Duke Energy customers billions of dollars with nothing to show for it. [Tampabay.com]

World:

¶   During World War II, the Germans built the Wilhelmsburg flak bunker as part of the air defense for Hamburg. Now the Wilhelmsburg flak bunker is being transformed into the  Energiebunker, for solar power generation and storage. [EarthTechling]

¶   Renewable energy projects, especially wind farms, are succeeding in Scotland. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

US:

¶   Greenpeace, ranking corporations in its “Cool IT Leaderboard” report, said Google and Cisco are tied for first place. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   Terra-Gen Power, a renewable power producers, filed a document saying after investing $3 billion, it is being punished by two-year delays in the Tehachapi transmission project resulting from opposition by Chino Hills, California. [Chino Champion]

¶   Iowa does not have wind resources that are as great as those of Nebraska, but Iowa is getting investment in wind power far faster. The reason has to do different approaches by the state governments. [Lincoln Journal Star]

¶   Santee Cooper, a South Carolina state-owned utility, has spent four years trying to sell part of its ownership in two nuclear reactors under construction at the Summer Nuclear Station. So far, no one seems interested in buying. [Greenville News]